Most likely a minority but a big enough minority to make a difference.

Like football hooligans/violent demonstrators etc are just a minority but enough to discredit the whole.

Or like a minor political party enabling government

Ok. I accept that.

The root of problem lies in education and social policy though.

Tap tap on my shoulder on a very quiet, tiny, village street.

"Excuse me Signora but what language are you speaking in to those lovely kiddies?"

I look over my shoulder and think, 'Shit! It's a priest!' I limit myself to saying, 'English.'

The nice, polite voice disappears and I hear a disgruntled,
"Ohhhah, Protestant then!"

I took a moment to gather myself and then replied:

'Excuse me. Don't you for one minute think that everyone growing up in England grows up protestant ..... just like not all Italians are good catholics!'
Father Whatever turned on his polished heels and never stopped me again.

Bloody religion, no wonder I hate it.

Why would he jump to conclusions so quickly when you could quite easily be Catholic (maybe you are). And then after you said your piece, he should have even more reason to confirm whether you are or not? Maybe he just meant foreigner. Anyway, very good come back.

Who knows? Old man? Maybe because he doesn't see me in church? Because my kids don't go to catechism classes? Not very educated? Just too damn Italian?

I actually was brought up Catholic. I think he was shocked to get such a curt reply from me. He's probably used to being bowed to and called "Don".


A lady stopped us the other day:
"Ohhh" she said, "I love the German language. What part of Germany are you from?"

- 'Yorkshire in England.'

E by gum, Signora, Inglaterra !

I'm an atheist and was brought up atheist. I'm used to people assuming I'm Christian. I've chosen to live in rural areas in England and it goes with the territory. Even so, sometimes I'm amused by my own tolerance. I'm always at pains to explain that I believe in tolerating other people's faiths, even though it is a tolerance that isn't often shown to me. My dear old mum, on the other hand, simply tells Christians that she thinks they are potty.

At a coffee morning a few weeks ago, an elderly woman told me that she couldn't understand how atheists explained death to children. I told her that my mum had told me that death was nothing to be afraid of, since I wouldn't know anything about it.

I have a very low tolerance for religion, we were watching a show last night about chaplains in a Children's Hospital. They would go around during the hospital visiting the kids and laughing and joking with them which is all well and good and commendable BUT they then ask the parents if they mind if they were to say a prayer for the child. The way I see it is if the child recovers, thank god, if the child doesn't recover then I assume god has a different plan for them. I just don't get it.

I'm a fairly devout atheist these days. I'm tolerant outwardly, and don't engage people on religion unless they engage me first (which thankfully is rare). I wouldn't have a problem for someone saying a prayer for someone else, I think good wishes, however made, are always in short supply. The problem I have is when schools and churches (etc.) seek to brainwash the children. I'm also fairly uncomfortable with atheists that send their children to faith schools (where others are available) it's quite a hypocrisy in my view.

There was some research on prayer for the ill a few years ago. They found that the only prayer worthwhile was prayer for yourself. In their sample, in fact, the people who were prayed for by someone else seemed to get worse.

I don't understand prayer. It seems like special pleading to me. If I wanted a god to believe in, I'd want my deity to be fair and just , not callous but inclined to grant special favours like an ancient despot.

Praying is the height of arrogance, expecting personal attention (especially on minor prayers) when there is so much real tragedy and pain that going on in the world. But then again, it's not supposed to make sense is it. Just self delusion.

Having said that, I can understand its value for children, while they are young and find the world quite scary.

Daughter speaks great English - reads and writes pretty well but has never had a proper grammar lesson from me or a life of English spellings. Her life is full on enough with all her Italian homework and revising for tests. She was however seriously pissed off last year when she kept getting just 6 or 7 in marks from the so called English teacher and her Italian classmates were getting 8 or 9 with many more mistakes. It was the time of parents' night so I went to see this English teacher, shook her hand and said,
"Pleased to meet you. I am Chloe's mother but io parlo anche Italiano."

- Thank goodness - she said. Let's speak in Italian. I'm sure your Italian is better than my English. What a great start I thought. She can't even introduce herself in English.

"What does my daughter have to do to get an 8 or 9 from you?"

Ah but, Signora, she is a mother tongue so I have to treat her differently and mark her down.

"She isn't a mother tongue. I am the mother tongue. My daughter was born here, learnt to read and write in Italian first of all and just because she speaks good English doesn't mean that she also doesn't need to learn the irregular verbs.

It makes me mad sometimes when I have to go in and explain why you are punishing my kids unfairly.

My thoughts exactly, it's almost as if the god has made you sick but if we all pray he might make you better. I especially hate when someone has been cared for by multiple health workers (doctors, nurses etc) and when they recover they thank god.

This is true. I'm Canadian and I can't get warm to save my life. And I've lived everywhere in Canada. Winters of -40 in Northwest Territories...in danger of freezing to death but not of shivering to death!

I have no idea why it is so but it is true. If anyone finds the answer, please let me know....I'm turning blue!!

P.S. But this is where I want to be!!